Of Mice and Men Unit Plan
Sarah Messmer and Chelsea Backus
Of Mice and Men Unit Sarah Messmer and Chelsea Backus
UBD Template
Essential Questions
How is the world designed to prey on the weak? - I love this questions- makes the world seem like a bad place, interesting. - Sam B
How can innocence be a form of corruption? - Again, awesome question!! - Sam B
In what ways, despite prejudices and oppression, are whites, blacks, men and women portrayed to be similar in the novel?
I think that these are some good starting questions. Could you add one that really gets the mind spinning? (Nicole M) Long Term Objectives:
SWBAT define feminist theory and racist theory.
SWBAT create a 4-5 page paper analyzing the novel through a feminist lens.
SWBAT view the novel through a feminist lens in order to facilitate a diverse understanding of the concepts in the novel.
SWBAT view the novel through a racist lens in order to facilitate a diverse understanding of the concepts in the novel.
SWBAT identify literary terms (theme, symbolism, setting, POV) and their function in the novel.
SWBAT create a media project portraying an alternate scene to the novel, using either a feminist or racist lens.
SWBAT identify artifacts from the depression era and analyze their connection to the novel and the characters.
I think that the ideas behind these objective are solid, but I think you may be able to be even more explicit. I know its so much easier to use "understand" in our objective, but perhaps you could split those up. First, you could say that students could define feminism and racism. Then you could say that they will use that lense to contruct meaning (in whatever way you chose) through that lense. Also, though I love the idea of having students write from the perspective of a character, that may be difficult to assess student learning. (Nicole M)
Fulcrum Text: Of Mice and Men RATIONALE: Context Texts: Great Depression Pictures
Pictures provide a visual example of life in during the Great Depression. Students will be able to understand the living conditions much better by viewing these photos. This will provide background knowledge when students begin reading the story. http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/depression/photoessay.htm I love how you use these visuals to show the students what it would be like to live during the Great Depression. I think it will really give students so much more background information so when they read the novel, they will have a better understand for what the time period was like. (Victoria Guaragno)
Biography of John Steinbeck
It is important for students to know about the author, his life, and the situations that he encountered in his life. By viewing this brief video, students will gain a better understanding for Steinbeck as a person and it will help them to understand why he wrote the way that he did. http://www.biography.com/people/john-steinbeck-9493358
Article of the Feminist perspective
This article details the feminist theory and the ways in which we can read literature through a feminist lens. We will be reading the novel using a feminist theory at one point, and this will allow the students to gain an understanding of the theory and what to look for when reading through a feminist lens. http://bsdweb.bsdvt.org/~jfletcher/pdfs/10th%20Grade/Jane%20Eyre/feministlens.pdf
(Informational Text)
Advertisements from the 1930’s The advertisements provide examples of the prejudices against women and African Americans during the 1930s, the time during which the novel is based. It is important that students understand the different prejudices in order to understand the ways that each character (for example, Crooks and Curly’s Wife) is framed in the novel. http://totallytop10.com/current-affairs/odd-news/top-10-incredibly-offensive-vintage-ads
(Images) - I like that you use images a lot, breaks up reading and writing activities which will hopefully make this more enjoyable for students. - Sam B
NY Times article about the Great Depression
This article explains how the great depression began and details different facts about it. This will provide students with a background on the Great Depression which will aid them in their reading and understanding of the novel. http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/g/great_depression_1930s/index.html (Article) The Grapes of Wrath This is another novel written by Steinbeck, based during the time period of the Great Depression. Excerpts from this novel will allow students to gain a better understanding of the time period and the style with Steinbeck writes. (Excerpts)
Texture Texts: The Yellow Wall Paper written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
This short story details the oppression of a woman during the 1930s. In the story, the women’s husband has total control of everything that she does. She is forced to stay in an upstairs bedroom, separate from anyone, because he thinks this is the best way to deal with her post-partum depression. The story is a good example of male domination in the 1930s and the oppression of women. I really love this story and it fits so well with Of Mice and Men- Bridgette Metzinger This is one of my fav. short stories!! Good pick- Sam B
(Short Story) “Let America Be American Again” Written by Langston Hughes (1935)
This poem is written through the perspective of the blacks. It discusses the greed of the time period and the different prejudices in society at that time. This will give the students an example of writing from the oppressed. The poem also talks about the “sameness” of all the different races, and men and women. This is important to the idea of the shared feelings of loneliness and depression between the characters in the novel. http://poemhunter.com/poem/let-america-be-america-again/
(Poem) “Desiree’s Baby” Kate Chopin
This short story provides insight about how women and blacks were oppressed against. In the story a women is married to a man who loves to be in control. She does everything for him, and does everything he says. When they discover that their baby is part black, he kicks her out of his life completely. Neither of them have any idea how this is so, but just portrays the fact that men were superior to women, and being black was a negative component to life.
(Short Story) Of Mice and Men- Motifs
This short clip will provide students with an interesting example of the way that Steinbeck portrayed women in the novel. This will allow students to reflect on the sexism and the ways that the author chose to play certain situations off of the female character. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhxET_TtK60&feature=relmfu
(Youtube Clip) “To a Mouse” written by Robert Burns
Steinbeck got the title of the novel from a line in this poem. The poem talks about a mouse’s home being destroyed and how he will have to work hard & forge onward to create a new and better life for himself. It also talks about depression and the fact that no matter how hard one works, he may still find himself in a bad situation. This poem can be applied to the novel because many of the ideas are the same. Students will use this poem to analyze certain ideas in the novel.
(Poem)
Movie Clips from Of Mice and Men Movie The clips will provide visual examples of different scenes in the novel so that students can better understand the way that characters are portrayed and scenes are played out. This serves as a means of bettering students’ understandings and interpretations of the novel. (Movie Clips) CULMINATING PROJECTS 1) Writing Piece (ORIGINAL) Students will choose one character when they begin reading the novel that they wish to follow closely throughout the reading of the text. Students will keep close notes on their character, paying attention to their personality, goals and aspirations, and way that they interact with other characters as well as their stereotypes and prejudices that they represent. These notes will be taken in students’ journals on a weekly basis, and students will be given journal prompts frequently at the beginning of class to provoke thought of their characters. These journal entries will aid in the creation of their I like your use of journalism. Writing in a journal can help students explore their ideas and opinions, it's a written thinking process. ER culminating project:
Students will develop a 4 to 5 page narrative from the perspective of a character in the novel. The students will chose which character’s perspective they wish to write from. This piece should show the personality of the specific character, as well as mention different situations as detailed in the text. The narrative must include the character’s background, job, daily routine, feelings and relationships and must be written in the specific voice of that character. The piece must also include a dialogue with at least one other character in the novel. From this narrative, we should be able to determine the personality of the character, along with his or her thoughts on life at the time and the way he or she feels about how they are treated by the others. Though I do like the idea of this, perhaps this could be a smaler assignment in the whole unit, instead of the culminating activity. I think that students should have something that is more authentic and purposeful to their learning and identity. This could be a great excersise to build toward somthing more authentic. (Nicole M)
UPDATED WRITING PIECE:
Students will write a 4-5 page essay using a feminist perspective which analyzes the character of Curly’s wife in the novel Of Mice and Men. They must provide details from the text to support their arguments. Students may use excerpts from “The Yellow Wallpaper” and “Desiree’s Baby” (covered in class) to back up their feminist argument. We will also ask that students provide significant details of the ways in which Curly’s wife was portrayed to have effected several situations throughout the novel in a negative way. We will also ask that students provide ways that the story would have been different if Curly’s wife was portrayed in a more positive light; ie, who would be the antagonist? Who would be the “trouble-maker”? Who would have the upper hand? How would the roles of each character shift if Curly’s wife was made to be a positive character? Students will use the knowledge of feminist theory that they have acquired throughout the course of the unit to complete this assignment.
2)Media Project
Students will work in groups to create a drama which they will record and edit as an alternate scene in the novel. For example, the students will choose a specific scene in the novel and change the way that the scene plays out, creating an alternate ending for that particular scene. The movie must have an introduction and conclusion, students must dress and act in character, and must have appropriate backdrops to display the corresponding scene.
Further, students must create this alternate scene using either a feminist or racist lens. For example, they may choose to portray Curly’s Wife as a strong-willed female who doesn’t take orders from others, who is respectable and kind. The scene will have to show that the students understand feminist and racist theories and the ways in which they affect the story.
Students can use any editing program that they choose, but must provide a title slide (which introduces their scene) and appropriate credits. This will demonstrate their competency with media technology. I think this is great! It really forces students to transfer their knowledge of lenses and the story to another medium. It also gives room for further research, which is something we strive for.- Bridgette Metzinger I think that this is a pretty solid idea, you have them working to show their understanding of these two lenses. (Nicole M) Love your projects- good job guys! - Sam B
CCSS
Reading Standards For Literature 6-12
1.Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly
as well as inferences drawn from the text.
2.Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the
course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details;
provide an objective summary of the text.
3.Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations)
develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or
develop the theme.
6.Analyze a particular point of view or cultural experience reflected in a work of literature
from outside the United States, drawing on a wide reading of world literature.
9. Analyze how an author draws on and transforms source material in a specific work (e.g.,
how Shakespeare treats a theme or topic from Ovid or the Bible or how a later author draws
on a play by Shakespeare).
11.Interpret, analyze, and evaluate narratives, poetry, and drama, aesthetically and ethically by
making connections to: other texts, ideas, cultural perspectives, eras, personal events and
situations.
a.Self-select text to respond and develop innovative perspectives.
b.Establish and use criteria to classify, select, and evaluate texts to make informed
judgments about the quality of the pieces.
Reading Standards for Informational Texts
1.Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly
as well as inferences drawn from the text.
a. Develop factual, interpretive, and evaluative questions for further exploration of the
topic(s).
3.Analyze how the author unfolds an analysis or series of ideas or events, including the order
in which the points are made, how they are introduced and developed, and the connections
that are drawn between them.
6.Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how an author uses
rhetoric to advance that point of view or purpose.
7.Analyze various accounts of a subject told in different mediums (e.g., a person’s life story in
both print and multimedia), determining which details are emphasized in each account.
Writing Standards 3.Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique,
well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.
a.Engage and orient the reader by setting out a problem, situation, or observation,
establishing one or multiple point(s) of view, and introducing a narrator and/or
characters; create a smooth progression of experiences or events.
b.Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description, reflection, and multiple
plot lines, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.
c.Use a variety of techniques to sequence events so that they build on one another to
create a coherent whole.
d.Use precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language to convey a vivid
picture of the experiences, events, setting, and/or characters.
e.Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on what is experienced, observed,
or resolved over the course of the narrative.
f.Adapt voice, awareness of audience, and use of language to accommodate a variety of
cultural contexts.
4.Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are
appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are
defined in standards 1–3 above.)
5.Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying
a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and
audience. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of Language standards 1–3
up to and including grades 9–10 on page 55.)
6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared
writing products, taking advantage of technology’s capacity to link to other information and
to display information flexibly and dynamically.
UBD TEMPLATE Of Mice and Men (10th Grade) |||| Stage 1—Desired Results ||
Established Goals What relevant goals (e.g., content standards, course or program objectives, learning outcomes) will this design address? Feminist perspective Racist perspective (colonial) Literary terms – theme, symbolism, characterization, irony, setting, point of view Post-colonial lens Reader response New-critical theory Stereotypes (Lennie’s static character) Author’s hidden intentions Different ways to create media presentations (imovie, animoto, etc) Perspective writing (use a theory/lens)
UnderstandingsStudents will understand that…
Literary elements play a large part in the making of the novel.
There are many stereotypes present in the novel.
There are different perspectives to be taken into account.
The author has a hidden intent .
Essential Questions
How is the world designed to prey on the weak?
How can innocence be a form of corruption?
In what ways, despite prejudices and oppression, are whites, blacks, men and women portrayed to be similar in the novel?
Students will know…
Post-colonialist lens
Feminist lens
Literary terms
Perspective writing
Author’s hidden intentions
Multimodality
Students will be able to…
SWBAT define and develop a perspective writing piece which is based on the perspective of one of the characters in the novel.
SWBAT view the novel through a feminist lens in order to facilitate a diverse understanding of the concepts in the novel.
SWBAT view the novel through a racist lens in order to facilitate a diverse understanding of the concepts in the novel.
SWBAT identify literary terms (theme, symbolism, setting, POV) and their function in the novel.
Stage 2—Assessment Evidence
Performance Tasks Through what authentic performance tasks will students demonstrate the desired understandings?
Discussion of different theories
Discussion of the novel
Journal responses based on prompts dealing with the novel (journal for understanding)
Writing piece on feminist theory analyzing Curlys wife in the novel
By what criteria will performances of understanding be judged?
Students will be rewarded points for active and relevant participation in class discussions. We will be listening for their understanding of topics.
Journal responses should delve deeper into topics of the novel, should show students’ thought processes and demonstrate their competency with theories and the ideas of the novel.
Writing piece should successfully demonstrate their understanding of feminist theory and their ability to apply a feminist lens to their reading. Should contain significant details from the text to back their arguments
Media Project should be well planned out and neatly put together and edited. We will be looking for creativity and imagination, as well as demonstration of competency with theories and the novel.
Other Evidence Through what other evidence (e.g., quizzes, tests, academic prompts, observations, homework, journals) will students demonstrate achievement of the desired results?
Students will complete journal entries throughout the unit to demonstrate their understanding of the novel and their individual thought processes as they read.
Students will read and annotate poetry
Students will complete a one page response to the novel
Students will create a writing piece using feminist theory
Students will create a media project of an alternate scene for the novel
How will students reflect upon and self-assess their learning?
Students will complete a reflection of their journaling process at the end of the unit detailing the ways in which journaling helped them
Students will discuss the novel with their peers to help one another reflect upon their reading and learning.
Students will write a one-page response to the novel discussing the ways that they made sense of the story, their thought processes, things they liked and disliked, etc
Students will create a brief “making of” section in their media project which discusses their process, things that they liked and disliked, and the overall experience of creating their alternate scene.
Stage 3—Learning Plan
Learning Activities What learning experiences and instruction will enable students to achieve the desired results? How will the design… W = Help the students know Where the unit is going and What is expected? Help the teacher know Where the students are coming from (prior knowledge, interests)? We will list the objective of the day of the board at the beginning of every class so the students know what they are expected to accomplish for the day. Each student will also be given a tentative schedule for the unit so they can see what the assignment/topic is for each day, allowing them to work ahead or plan ahead. The culminating projects will be introduced at the beginning of the unit so that the students may prepare for them throughout their reading. H = Hook all students and Hold their interest We will “hook” the students by introducing our essential questions in the beginning of the unit and referring back to them several times throughout the unit. We will hold their interest by having interesting discussions and journal prompts which provoke thought and relate to their lives as well as the novel, and other texts we may be using. E = Equip students, help them Experience the key ideas and Explore the issues? Students will be able to experience and explore the issues we discuss in class based on the novel by participating in gallery walks, watching videos, creating movies, etc. Throughout the unit will be using many visual artifacts to allow the students to experience and explore the topics. R = Provide opportunities to Rethink and Revise their understandings and work? Students will be given opportunities to discuss the reading with their peers to rethink the story and experience it in ways that they may not have originally. Students will also have opportunities to work with each other to peer edit, as well as get revision help from the teacher. Students can revise their work as many times as they need until they are pleased with the results. E = Allow students to Evaluate their work and its implications? Students will evaluate their work by keeping a journal which details their thought processes and reading experience. They will also write a one page response upon completion of the novel which discusses their feelings on the novel, the struggles they may have faced, and the ways that they got help or overcame misunderstandings and difficulties. T = Be Tailored (personalized) to the different needs, interests and abilities of learners? Each student will be expected to keep a journal and to participate in discussions. These are both tasks that can be successfully completed by a wide range of learners. Some students may be higher learners than others, but each student should be able to write journal entries and talk during discussions. Other projects can be slightly modified for lower-learning ability students. O = Be Organized to maximize initial and sustained engagement as well as effective learning? Students will receive feedback readily throughout the unit, so they know how they are doing. They will also be able to plan ahead since they will have a copy of the unit calendar. Students will constantly be kept up-to-date on upcoming assignments and expectations for each.
_
FIRST LESSON PLAN
Teacher: Ms. Backus and Ms. Messmer Class: ENG Date: March 1, 2012 Grade Level: 10 Room Number: 22 Period: 4 Unit: Of Mice and Men Lesson Number: 1 Topic: Gallery Walk
Context
This is the beginning of the unit focusing on the novel Of Mice and Men. We are spending this day to introduce what will be read throughout the unit through the use and observation of pictures shared in the Great Depression.
Objectives
Short-range objective: Students will be able to identify the pictures as examples of the Great Depression and use this as background knowledge and historical context for the novel, Of Mice and Men.
Long-range objective: Students will be able to identify artifacts from the Depression era and analyze their connection to the novel and the characters in Of Mice and men.
Rationale
1) Administrators: This lesson deals with analyzing and questioning images in an affective way to gain a better understanding of the time period through the reader’s own lens. This lesson deals with CCS 9 and 11, and will give students the skills to analyze images from a different time period and identify their relation and relevance to the novel while they read.
2) Students: Students are able to use this important analyzing task to generate their own responses to the different images based on the Gallery Walk. Viewing these images will help the students to gain a better understanding of the novel and the time period in which it was written. This will help them when developing their own interpretations of the novel.
3) Critical Pedagogues: In order to be effective citizens, students need to be able to view the world through multiple lenses that can also be applied to the novel. Students should understand the history of the United States and the ways in which history has been known to repeat itself, to learn from past mistakes. This lesson is also a great way to allow students to practice creating connections between visual and written artifacts, in order to facilitate a deeper understanding of concepts and topics.
Standards:
Responding to Literature Standard 11: Interpret, analyze, and evaluate narratives, poetry, and drama, aesthetically and ethically by making connections to: other texts, ideas, cultural perspectives, eras, personal events and situations.
Reading Standards for Informational texts, standard 9: Analyze seminal U.S. documents of historical and literary significance including how they address related themes and concepts.
Procedure
Anticipatory set:
We will begin the lesson by asking students to complete a five minute journal entry discussing everything that they know about the Great Depression. Once they have completed this, we will have a brief discussion of what they wrote, and then introduce the activity for the day.
Instruction:
-We will inform students that their task for the day is to perform a gallery walk. -Each student will tour the room, viewing each picture which will be posted on the walls. -We will explain that they are expected to carry a piece of paper to write on -Students must write one word that comes to mind when viewing each picture (make sure to number the words with the number of the corresponding picture) -No one word can be repeated twice -Make sure to take at least 15 to 20 seconds to observe each picture before choosing a word, longer is even better - really absorb the image -Students will be allowed about 15 minutes to complete this activity -Once the students have completed their gallery walk, they will get into groups of 4 to discuss the words that they wrote down -Each student must explain why they chose this word and how the picture affected their thoughts of the depression. -At the end of the period, each group must present their thoughts/response/opinions of at least one of the pictures from the gallery.
Guided Practice:
-As music plays in the background, students will walk around the room to each picture with sticky notes. They will each write one word that comes to mind when they look at the individual pictures. - Cannot repeat the same word twice - After each student has written a word about each picture (about 15 minutes), the students will get into groups to discuss their words(at most four in each group) - In their groups students will discuss why they chose the word that they wrote down with their classmates and explain what they think that picture had to do with the Great Depression as well as their responses to the word/picture. -Why they chose the particular word for the particular picture -What about the picture surprised them -Things that they didn’t already know/things they did know -Try to learn something new from peers/each student should share with their group any information that they know about the Depression. - After each student of each group has shared, one person from each group will share with the whole class what their group thought, how it made them feel, overall responses etc. (about 10 minutes).
Independent Practice: Students will use their list of words from the gallery walk to complete a one page paper responding to the activity, discussing what they learned about the Great Depression, things that surprised/angered/saddened them, etc. This should be completed in their journal.
Closure:
-Review what was learned about the Great Depression through the students own lenses. -Review what the students have to do for homework.
Materials and Resources Needed
-Great Depressions Images
Critical Literacy Focus
-Historical Criticism -Critical Thinking -Critical Reading of images
_SECOND LESSON PLAN (DAY 5)
_
THIRD LESSON PLAN (DAY 6)
Teacher: Sarah Messmer & Chelsea Backus Class: ENGLISH Grade Level: 10 Unit: Of Mice and Men Lesson Number: 6 Topic: Feminism
Context: Students will have finished the first four chapters of Of Mice and Men and will have a general understanding of feminist theory (Ads viewing women in 1930s; introductory article on feminism).
Standards:
3.Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.
1.Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. a. Develop factual, interpretive, and evaluative questions for further exploration of the topic(s).
3.Analyze how the author unfolds an analysis or series of ideas or events, including the order in which the points are made, how they are introduced and developed, and the connections that are drawn between them.
6.Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how an author uses rhetoric to advance that point of view or purpose.
Objectives:
Short-Range Learning Objective: Students will be able to analyze Curly’s wife in the first four chapters of Of Mice and Men using a feminist lens.
Long Range Learning Objective:
SWBAT define feminist theory and racist theory.
SWBAT create a 4-5 page paper analyzing the novel through a feminist lens.
SWBAT view the novel through a feminist lens in order to facilitate a diverse understanding of the concepts in the novel.
Rationale:
Administrators: This lesson will touch on a range of CCS which will help to advance students towards Regents success. The lesson will go further in depth into the discussion of feminism and it’s role in the novel, allowing a reading of the text that is not often conducted. Through the understanding of key concepts and completion of this lesson, students will gain the knowledge of a major theory and the ability to apply it to different works of literature, as well as their lives.
Students: This lesson will help you to better understand the concept of feminism and how to use this theory to analyze the novel. This is important because your two final projects both deal with the topic of feminism and it is important that you fully and deeply understand this concept.
Critical Pedagogues: I think that it is extremely important for students to experience different texts through a variety of different lenses, feminist lens being one of the most important. Since the issue of sexual inequality is still present in society today, it is important for students to be well-versed in the feminist theory, and to be able to view not only literature, but the world through a feminist lens, so that hopefully full equality of the sexes may one day be achieved.
Background Knowledge and Skills: Students will have read the first 4 chapters of the novel and should have an understanding of the main concepts and characters thus far. Students will have completed a lesson of feminism the previous day, where they will have been introduced to the feminist theory, and given pictures of ads in the 1930s to view and analyze in relation to the text.
Procedure:
Anticipatory Set:
-We will begin class with a journal entry: “How was your reading of chapters 3 and 4 influenced by your new knowledge of the feminist theory? Did you find yourself viewing/reading the characters differently? Explain.” -The students will be given 5 minutes to complete this prompt -We will then view the first minute of this clip (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhxET_TtK60&feature=relmfu) dealing with feminism in Of Mice and Men (we will not view the whole clip until the novel is completed because it gives away the ending)
Instruction:
-After viewing the clip, I will ask students to form their desks in a circle for our discussion. -Once students have formed their desks into a circle, I will explain how the discussion will work today -”Today we will be discussing chapters 3 and 4 which you read for homework last night” - “The discussion should demonstrate that you read these chapters through a feminist lens, but you may also bring up any points that you have questions or comments on” - “Make sure to consider the clip we have just watched, and try to include the ideas that it presented in your discussion today” - “Each person must participate at least once in order to get participation credit, and you have to make a significant point, you can’t simply say ‘I agree’ and expect that to count as your participation” - I will then ask for one person to volunteer to begin the discussion by reading their journal entry.
Guided Practice:
- One student will volunteer to read their journal entry, and once finished, students should begin discussing. - I will remain relatively silent throughout the discussion, as I will expect the students to keep teh discussion going on their own. - I will interject if: - Students stop discussing and a new point needs to be brought up - If the discussion goes off-topic and begins to focus on aspects of the novel that are unrelated to feminism. - Students should take notes during the discussion to remember key discussion points and bits of information that they find significant, as this will probably help them to complete their two culminating projects at the end of the unit. -Though I will not be participating, I will be listening for these points about Curly’s wife:
-First appearance in the novel, she is flirting with George and Lennie -She has a lot of makeup on (portrayed as superficial) -George refers to her as a “bitch” -Curley is constantly looking for his wife, un-trusting, wondering where she is and what she’s doing like she can’t be anywhere without him -Has to have her in his control at all times -She talks to the men and tells them she is lonely and in need of a companion -Made to look desperate and easy -Students will discuss feminism in the novel for about 20 minutes
Independent Practice/Closure:
With the remaining ten minutes of class time, I will ask students to write me a one page response paper on what they learned from the clip and the days discussion. I want examples of ideas that were new to them, things that they learned from the discussion, and ways that their opinions have changed with the introduction of feminist lens (if at all).
I will collect these papers at the end of the period. If some students do not finish and feel that they have more that they would like to write, they can complete the response for homework and hand it in tomorrow (but I will ask to see what they have so far so I know they had been working).
Assessment of Student Learning: I will use the one page response as a formative assessment of student learning. I will look for an understanding of the novel and characters so far, as well as the demonstration of successful understanding of feminist perspective.
Sarah Messmer and Chelsea Backus
Of Mice and Men Unit
Sarah Messmer and Chelsea Backus
UBD Template
Essential Questions
- How is the world designed to prey on the weak? - I love this questions- makes the world seem like a bad place, interesting. - Sam B
- How can innocence be a form of corruption? - Again, awesome question!! - Sam B
- In what ways, despite prejudices and oppression, are whites, blacks, men and women portrayed to be similar in the novel?
I think that these are some good starting questions. Could you add one that really gets the mind spinning? (Nicole M)Long Term Objectives:
- SWBAT define feminist theory and racist theory.
- SWBAT create a 4-5 page paper analyzing the novel through a feminist lens.
- SWBAT view the novel through a feminist lens in order to facilitate a diverse understanding of the concepts in the novel.
- SWBAT view the novel through a racist lens in order to facilitate a diverse understanding of the concepts in the novel.
- SWBAT identify literary terms (theme, symbolism, setting, POV) and their function in the novel.
- SWBAT create a media project portraying an alternate scene to the novel, using either a feminist or racist lens.
- SWBAT identify artifacts from the depression era and analyze their connection to the novel and the characters.
I think that the ideas behind these objective are solid, but I think you may be able to be even more explicit. I know its so much easier to use "understand" in our objective, but perhaps you could split those up. First, you could say that students could define feminism and racism. Then you could say that they will use that lense to contruct meaning (in whatever way you chose) through that lense. Also, though I love the idea of having students write from the perspective of a character, that may be difficult to assess student learning. (Nicole M)Fulcrum Text: Of Mice and Men
RATIONALE:
Context Texts:
Great Depression Pictures
Pictures provide a visual example of life in during the Great Depression. Students will be able to understand the living conditions much better by viewing these photos. This will provide background knowledge when students begin reading the story.
http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/depression/photoessay.htm
I love how you use these visuals to show the students what it would be like to live during the Great Depression. I think it will really give students so much more background information so when they read the novel, they will have a better understand for what the time period was like. (Victoria Guaragno)
Biography of John Steinbeck
It is important for students to know about the author, his life, and the situations that he encountered in his life. By viewing this brief video, students will gain a better understanding for Steinbeck as a person and it will help them to understand why he wrote the way that he did.
http://www.biography.com/people/john-steinbeck-9493358
Article of the Feminist perspective
This article details the feminist theory and the ways in which we can read literature through a feminist lens. We will be reading the novel using a feminist theory at one point, and this will allow the students to gain an understanding of the theory and what to look for when reading through a feminist lens.
http://bsdweb.bsdvt.org/~jfletcher/pdfs/10th%20Grade/Jane%20Eyre/feministlens.pdf
(Informational Text)
Advertisements from the 1930’s
The advertisements provide examples of the prejudices against women and African Americans during the 1930s, the time during which the novel is based. It is important that students understand the different prejudices in order to understand the ways that each character (for example, Crooks and Curly’s Wife) is framed in the novel.
http://totallytop10.com/current-affairs/odd-news/top-10-incredibly-offensive-vintage-ads
(Images)
- I like that you use images a lot, breaks up reading and writing activities which will hopefully make this more enjoyable for students. - Sam B
NY Times article about the Great Depression
This article explains how the great depression began and details different facts about it. This will provide students with a background on the Great Depression which will aid them in their reading and understanding of the novel.
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/g/great_depression_1930s/index.html
(Article)
The Grapes of Wrath
This is another novel written by Steinbeck, based during the time period of the Great Depression. Excerpts from this novel will allow students to gain a better understanding of the time period and the style with Steinbeck writes.
(Excerpts)
Texture Texts:
The Yellow Wall Paper written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
This short story details the oppression of a woman during the 1930s. In the story, the women’s husband has total control of everything that she does. She is forced to stay in an upstairs bedroom, separate from anyone, because he thinks this is the best way to deal with her post-partum depression. The story is a good example of male domination in the 1930s and the oppression of women. I really love this story and it fits so well with Of Mice and Men- Bridgette Metzinger
This is one of my fav. short stories!! Good pick- Sam B
(Short Story)
“Let America Be American Again” Written by Langston Hughes (1935)
This poem is written through the perspective of the blacks. It discusses the greed of the time period and the different prejudices in society at that time. This will give the students an example of writing from the oppressed. The poem also talks about the “sameness” of all the different races, and men and women. This is important to the idea of the shared feelings of loneliness and depression between the characters in the novel.
http://poemhunter.com/poem/let-america-be-america-again/
(Poem)
“Desiree’s Baby” Kate Chopin
This short story provides insight about how women and blacks were oppressed against. In the story a women is married to a man who loves to be in control. She does everything for him, and does everything he says. When they discover that their baby is part black, he kicks her out of his life completely. Neither of them have any idea how this is so, but just portrays the fact that men were superior to women, and being black was a negative component to life.
(Short Story)
Of Mice and Men- Motifs
This short clip will provide students with an interesting example of the way that Steinbeck portrayed women in the novel. This will allow students to reflect on the sexism and the ways that the author chose to play certain situations off of the female character.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhxET_TtK60&feature=relmfu
(Youtube Clip)
“To a Mouse” written by Robert Burns
Steinbeck got the title of the novel from a line in this poem. The poem talks about a mouse’s home being destroyed and how he will have to work hard & forge onward to create a new and better life for himself. It also talks about depression and the fact that no matter how hard one works, he may still find himself in a bad situation. This poem can be applied to the novel because many of the ideas are the same. Students will use this poem to analyze certain ideas in the novel.
(Poem)
Movie Clips from Of Mice and Men Movie
The clips will provide visual examples of different scenes in the novel so that students can better understand the way that characters are portrayed and scenes are played out. This serves as a means of bettering students’ understandings and interpretations of the novel.
(Movie Clips)
CULMINATING PROJECTS
1) Writing Piece (ORIGINAL)
Students will choose one character when they begin reading the novel that they wish to follow closely throughout the reading of the text. Students will keep close notes on their character, paying attention to their personality, goals and aspirations, and way that they interact with other characters as well as their stereotypes and prejudices that they represent. These notes will be taken in students’ journals on a weekly basis, and students will be given journal prompts frequently at the beginning of class to provoke thought of their characters. These journal entries will aid in the creation of their
I like your use of journalism. Writing in a journal can help students explore their ideas and opinions, it's a written thinking process. ER
culminating project:
Students will develop a 4 to 5 page narrative from the perspective of a character in the novel. The students will chose which character’s perspective they wish to write from. This piece should show the personality of the specific character, as well as mention different situations as detailed in the text. The narrative must include the character’s background, job, daily routine, feelings and relationships and must be written in the specific voice of that character. The piece must also include a dialogue with at least one other character in the novel. From this narrative, we should be able to determine the personality of the character, along with his or her thoughts on life at the time and the way he or she feels about how they are treated by the others.
Though I do like the idea of this, perhaps this could be a smaler assignment in the whole unit, instead of the culminating activity. I think that students should have something that is more authentic and purposeful to their learning and identity. This could be a great excersise to build toward somthing more authentic. (Nicole M)
UPDATED WRITING PIECE:
Students will write a 4-5 page essay using a feminist perspective which analyzes the character of Curly’s wife in the novel Of Mice and Men. They must provide details from the text to support their arguments. Students may use excerpts from “The Yellow Wallpaper” and “Desiree’s Baby” (covered in class) to back up their feminist argument. We will also ask that students provide significant details of the ways in which Curly’s wife was portrayed to have effected several situations throughout the novel in a negative way. We will also ask that students provide ways that the story would have been different if Curly’s wife was portrayed in a more positive light; ie, who would be the antagonist? Who would be the “trouble-maker”? Who would have the upper hand? How would the roles of each character shift if Curly’s wife was made to be a positive character? Students will use the knowledge of feminist theory that they have acquired throughout the course of the unit to complete this assignment.2) Media Project
Students will work in groups to create a drama which they will record and edit as an alternate scene in the novel. For example, the students will choose a specific scene in the novel and change the way that the scene plays out, creating an alternate ending for that particular scene. The movie must have an introduction and conclusion, students must dress and act in character, and must have appropriate backdrops to display the corresponding scene.
Further, students must create this alternate scene using either a feminist or racist lens. For example, they may choose to portray Curly’s Wife as a strong-willed female who doesn’t take orders from others, who is respectable and kind. The scene will have to show that the students understand feminist and racist theories and the ways in which they affect the story.
Students can use any editing program that they choose, but must provide a title slide (which introduces their scene) and appropriate credits. This will demonstrate their competency with media technology. I think this is great! It really forces students to transfer their knowledge of lenses and the story to another medium. It also gives room for further research, which is something we strive for.- Bridgette Metzinger
I think that this is a pretty solid idea, you have them working to show their understanding of these two lenses. (Nicole M)
Love your projects- good job guys! - Sam B
CCSS
Reading Standards For Literature 6-12
1.Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly
as well as inferences drawn from the text.
2.Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the
course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details;
provide an objective summary of the text.
3.Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations)
develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or
develop the theme.
6.Analyze a particular point of view or cultural experience reflected in a work of literature
from outside the United States, drawing on a wide reading of world literature.
9. Analyze how an author draws on and transforms source material in a specific work (e.g.,
how Shakespeare treats a theme or topic from Ovid or the Bible or how a later author draws
on a play by Shakespeare).
11.Interpret, analyze, and evaluate narratives, poetry, and drama, aesthetically and ethically by
making connections to: other texts, ideas, cultural perspectives, eras, personal events and
situations.
a.Self-select text to respond and develop innovative perspectives.
b.Establish and use criteria to classify, select, and evaluate texts to make informed
judgments about the quality of the pieces.
Reading Standards for Informational Texts
1.Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly
as well as inferences drawn from the text.
a. Develop factual, interpretive, and evaluative questions for further exploration of the
topic(s).
3.Analyze how the author unfolds an analysis or series of ideas or events, including the order
in which the points are made, how they are introduced and developed, and the connections
that are drawn between them.
6.Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how an author uses
rhetoric to advance that point of view or purpose.
7.Analyze various accounts of a subject told in different mediums (e.g., a person’s life story in
both print and multimedia), determining which details are emphasized in each account.
Writing Standards
3.Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique,
well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.
a.Engage and orient the reader by setting out a problem, situation, or observation,
establishing one or multiple point(s) of view, and introducing a narrator and/or
characters; create a smooth progression of experiences or events.
b.Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description, reflection, and multiple
plot lines, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.
c.Use a variety of techniques to sequence events so that they build on one another to
create a coherent whole.
d.Use precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language to convey a vivid
picture of the experiences, events, setting, and/or characters.
e.Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on what is experienced, observed,
or resolved over the course of the narrative.
f.Adapt voice, awareness of audience, and use of language to accommodate a variety of
cultural contexts.
4.Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are
appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are
defined in standards 1–3 above.)
5.Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying
a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and
audience. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of Language standards 1–3
up to and including grades 9–10 on page 55.)
6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared
writing products, taking advantage of technology’s capacity to link to other information and
to display information flexibly and dynamically.
View Calendar Here
UBD TEMPLATE
Of Mice and Men (10th Grade)
|||| Stage 1—Desired Results
||
What relevant goals (e.g., content standards, course or program objectives, learning outcomes) will this design address?
Feminist perspective
Racist perspective (colonial)
Literary terms – theme, symbolism, characterization, irony, setting, point of view
Post-colonial lens
Reader response
New-critical theory
Stereotypes (Lennie’s static character)
Author’s hidden intentions
Different ways to create media presentations (imovie, animoto, etc)
Perspective writing (use a theory/lens)
Through what authentic performance tasks will students demonstrate the desired understandings?
- Discussion of different theories
- Discussion of the novel
- Journal responses based on prompts dealing with the novel (journal for understanding)
- Writing piece on feminist theory analyzing Curlys wife in the novel
By what criteria will performances of understanding be judged?Through what other evidence (e.g., quizzes, tests, academic prompts, observations, homework, journals) will students demonstrate achievement of the desired results?
- Students will complete journal entries throughout the unit to demonstrate their understanding of the novel and their individual thought processes as they read.
- Students will read and annotate poetry
- Students will complete a one page response to the novel
- Students will create a writing piece using feminist theory
- Students will create a media project of an alternate scene for the novel
How will students reflect upon and self-assess their learning?What learning experiences and instruction will enable students to achieve the desired results?
How will the design…
W = Help the students know Where the unit is going and What is expected? Help the teacher know Where the students are coming from (prior knowledge, interests)?
We will list the objective of the day of the board at the beginning of every class so the students know what they are expected to accomplish for the day. Each student will also be given a tentative schedule for the unit so they can see what the assignment/topic is for each day, allowing them to work ahead or plan ahead. The culminating projects will be introduced at the beginning of the unit so that the students may prepare for them throughout their reading.
H = Hook all students and Hold their interest
We will “hook” the students by introducing our essential questions in the beginning of the unit and referring back to them several times throughout the unit. We will hold their interest by having interesting discussions and journal prompts which provoke thought and relate to their lives as well as the novel, and other texts we may be using.
E = Equip students, help them Experience the key ideas and Explore the issues?
Students will be able to experience and explore the issues we discuss in class based on the novel by participating in gallery walks, watching videos, creating movies, etc. Throughout the unit will be using many visual artifacts to allow the students to experience and explore the topics.
R = Provide opportunities to Rethink and Revise their understandings and work?
Students will be given opportunities to discuss the reading with their peers to rethink the story and experience it in ways that they may not have originally. Students will also have opportunities to work with each other to peer edit, as well as get revision help from the teacher. Students can revise their work as many times as they need until they are pleased with the results.
E = Allow students to Evaluate their work and its implications?
Students will evaluate their work by keeping a journal which details their thought processes and reading experience. They will also write a one page response upon completion of the novel which discusses their feelings on the novel, the struggles they may have faced, and the ways that they got help or overcame misunderstandings and difficulties.
T = Be Tailored (personalized) to the different needs, interests and abilities of learners?
Each student will be expected to keep a journal and to participate in discussions. These are both tasks that can be successfully completed by a wide range of learners. Some students may be higher learners than others, but each student should be able to write journal entries and talk during discussions. Other projects can be slightly modified for lower-learning ability students.
O = Be Organized to maximize initial and sustained engagement as well as effective learning?
Students will receive feedback readily throughout the unit, so they know how they are doing. They will also be able to plan ahead since they will have a copy of the unit calendar. Students will constantly be kept up-to-date on upcoming assignments and expectations for each.
FIRST LESSON PLAN
Teacher: Ms. Backus and Ms. Messmer Class: ENG Date: March 1, 2012Grade Level: 10 Room Number: 22 Period: 4 Unit: Of Mice and Men
Lesson Number: 1 Topic: Gallery Walk
Context
This is the beginning of the unit focusing on the novel Of Mice and Men. We are spending this day to introduce what will be read throughout the unit through the use and observation of pictures shared in the Great Depression.
Objectives
Short-range objective: Students will be able to identify the pictures as examples of the Great Depression and use this as background knowledge and historical context for the novel, Of Mice and Men.
Long-range objective: Students will be able to identify artifacts from the Depression era and analyze their connection to the novel and the characters in Of Mice and men.
Rationale
1) Administrators: This lesson deals with analyzing and questioning images in an affective way to gain a better understanding of the time period through the reader’s own lens. This lesson deals with CCS 9 and 11, and will give students the skills to analyze images from a different time period and identify their relation and relevance to the novel while they read.
2) Students: Students are able to use this important analyzing task to generate their own responses to the different images based on the Gallery Walk. Viewing these images will help the students to gain a better understanding of the novel and the time period in which it was written. This will help them when developing their own interpretations of the novel.
3) Critical Pedagogues: In order to be effective citizens, students need to be able to view the world through multiple lenses that can also be applied to the novel. Students should understand the history of the United States and the ways in which history has been known to repeat itself, to learn from past mistakes. This lesson is also a great way to allow students to practice creating connections between visual and written artifacts, in order to facilitate a deeper understanding of concepts and topics.
Standards:
Responding to Literature Standard 11: Interpret, analyze, and evaluate narratives, poetry, and drama, aesthetically and ethically by making connections to: other texts, ideas, cultural perspectives, eras, personal events and situations.
Reading Standards for Informational texts, standard 9: Analyze seminal U.S. documents of historical and literary significance including how they address related themes and concepts.
Procedure
Anticipatory set:
We will begin the lesson by asking students to complete a five minute journal entry discussing everything that they know about the Great Depression. Once they have completed this, we will have a brief discussion of what they wrote, and then introduce the activity for the day.
Instruction:
-We will inform students that their task for the day is to perform a gallery walk.
-Each student will tour the room, viewing each picture which will be posted on the walls.
-We will explain that they are expected to carry a piece of paper to write on
-Students must write one word that comes to mind when viewing each picture (make sure to number the words with the number of the corresponding picture)
-No one word can be repeated twice
-Make sure to take at least 15 to 20 seconds to observe each picture before choosing a word, longer is even better - really absorb the image
-Students will be allowed about 15 minutes to complete this activity
-Once the students have completed their gallery walk, they will get into groups of 4 to discuss the words that they wrote down
-Each student must explain why they chose this word and how the picture affected their thoughts of the depression.
-At the end of the period, each group must present their thoughts/response/opinions of at least one of the pictures from the gallery.
Guided Practice:
-As music plays in the background, students will walk around the room to each picture with sticky notes. They will each write one word that comes to mind when they look at the individual pictures.
- Cannot repeat the same word twice
- After each student has written a word about each picture (about 15 minutes), the students will get into groups to discuss their words(at most four in each group)
- In their groups students will discuss why they chose the word that they wrote down with their classmates and explain what they think that picture had to do with the Great Depression as well as their responses to the word/picture.
-Why they chose the particular word for the particular picture
-What about the picture surprised them
-Things that they didn’t already know/things they did know
-Try to learn something new from peers/each student should share with their group any information that they know about the Depression.
- After each student of each group has shared, one person from each group will share with the whole class what their group thought, how it made them feel, overall responses etc. (about 10 minutes).
Independent Practice:
Students will use their list of words from the gallery walk to complete a one page paper responding to the activity, discussing what they learned about the Great Depression, things that surprised/angered/saddened them, etc.
This should be completed in their journal.
Closure:
-Review what was learned about the Great Depression through the students own lenses.
-Review what the students have to do for homework.
Materials and Resources Needed
-Great Depressions Images
Critical Literacy Focus
-Historical Criticism
-Critical Thinking
-Critical Reading of images
_SECOND LESSON PLAN (DAY 5)
_
THIRD LESSON PLAN (DAY 6)
Teacher: Sarah Messmer & Chelsea Backus Class: ENGLISH Grade Level: 10
Unit: Of Mice and Men Lesson Number: 6 Topic: Feminism
Context:
Students will have finished the first four chapters of Of Mice and Men and will have a general understanding of feminist theory (Ads viewing women in 1930s; introductory article on feminism).
Standards:
3.Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations)
develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or
develop the theme.
1.Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly
as well as inferences drawn from the text.
a. Develop factual, interpretive, and evaluative questions for further exploration of the
topic(s).
3.Analyze how the author unfolds an analysis or series of ideas or events, including the order
in which the points are made, how they are introduced and developed, and the connections
that are drawn between them.
6.Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how an author uses
rhetoric to advance that point of view or purpose.
Objectives:
Short-Range Learning Objective:
Students will be able to analyze Curly’s wife in the first four chapters of Of Mice and Men using a feminist lens.
Long Range Learning Objective:
- SWBAT define feminist theory and racist theory.
- SWBAT create a 4-5 page paper analyzing the novel through a feminist lens.
- SWBAT view the novel through a feminist lens in order to facilitate a diverse understanding of the concepts in the novel.
Rationale:Administrators: This lesson will touch on a range of CCS which will help to advance students towards Regents success. The lesson will go further in depth into the discussion of feminism and it’s role in the novel, allowing a reading of the text that is not often conducted. Through the understanding of key concepts and completion of this lesson, students will gain the knowledge of a major theory and the ability to apply it to different works of literature, as well as their lives.
Students: This lesson will help you to better understand the concept of feminism and how to use this theory to analyze the novel. This is important because your two final projects both deal with the topic of feminism and it is important that you fully and deeply understand this concept.
Critical Pedagogues: I think that it is extremely important for students to experience different texts through a variety of different lenses, feminist lens being one of the most important. Since the issue of sexual inequality is still present in society today, it is important for students to be well-versed in the feminist theory, and to be able to view not only literature, but the world through a feminist lens, so that hopefully full equality of the sexes may one day be achieved.
Background Knowledge and Skills:
Students will have read the first 4 chapters of the novel and should have an understanding of the main concepts and characters thus far. Students will have completed a lesson of feminism the previous day, where they will have been introduced to the feminist theory, and given pictures of ads in the 1930s to view and analyze in relation to the text.
Procedure:
Anticipatory Set:
-We will begin class with a journal entry:
“How was your reading of chapters 3 and 4 influenced by your new knowledge of the feminist theory? Did you find yourself viewing/reading the characters differently? Explain.”
-The students will be given 5 minutes to complete this prompt
-We will then view the first minute of this clip (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhxET_TtK60&feature=relmfu) dealing with feminism in Of Mice and Men (we will not view the whole clip until the novel is completed because it gives away the ending)
Instruction:
-After viewing the clip, I will ask students to form their desks in a circle for our discussion.
-Once students have formed their desks into a circle, I will explain how the discussion will work today
-”Today we will be discussing chapters 3 and 4 which you read for homework last night”
- “The discussion should demonstrate that you read these chapters through a feminist lens, but you may also bring up any points that you have questions or comments on”
- “Make sure to consider the clip we have just watched, and try to include the ideas that it presented in your discussion today”
- “Each person must participate at least once in order to get participation credit, and you have to make a significant point, you can’t simply say ‘I agree’ and expect that to count as your participation”
- I will then ask for one person to volunteer to begin the discussion by reading their journal entry.
Guided Practice:
- One student will volunteer to read their journal entry, and once finished, students should begin discussing.
- I will remain relatively silent throughout the discussion, as I will expect the students to keep teh discussion going on their own.
- I will interject if:
- Students stop discussing and a new point needs to be brought up
- If the discussion goes off-topic and begins to focus on aspects of the novel that are unrelated to feminism.
- Students should take notes during the discussion to remember key discussion points and bits of information that they find significant, as this will probably help them to complete their two culminating projects at the end of the unit.
-Though I will not be participating, I will be listening for these points about Curly’s wife:
-First appearance in the novel, she is flirting with George and Lennie
-She has a lot of makeup on (portrayed as superficial)
-George refers to her as a “bitch”
-Curley is constantly looking for his wife, un-trusting, wondering where she is and what she’s doing like she can’t be anywhere without him
-Has to have her in his control at all times
-She talks to the men and tells them she is lonely and in need of a companion
-Made to look desperate and easy
-Students will discuss feminism in the novel for about 20 minutes
Independent Practice/Closure:
With the remaining ten minutes of class time, I will ask students to write me a one page response paper on what they learned from the clip and the days discussion. I want examples of ideas that were new to them, things that they learned from the discussion, and ways that their opinions have changed with the introduction of feminist lens (if at all).
I will collect these papers at the end of the period. If some students do not finish and feel that they have more that they would like to write, they can complete the response for homework and hand it in tomorrow (but I will ask to see what they have so far so I know they had been working).
Materials and Resources:
-Of Mice and Men
-Journals
-Clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhxET_TtK60&feature=relmfu
Assessment of Student Learning:
I will use the one page response as a formative assessment of student learning. I will look for an understanding of the novel and characters so far, as well as the demonstration of successful understanding of feminist perspective.
Critical Literacy Focus:
-Feminist Criticism
-Critical Thinking & Reading